1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a portable communication device and more particularly to a communication device that includes an apparatus that enables the sliding of a first and second display unit such that the second display unit is positioned at a same angle of the first display unit so as to form an extended display.
2. Description of the Related Art
In general, a “portable communication device” refers to a device that can perform wireless communication with a counterpart while the user is carrying it. Such portable communication devices include a hand-held phone (HHP), a CT-2 terminal, a cellular phone, a digital phone, a personal communications service (PCS) phone, and a personal digital assistant (PDA), and are classified into various types according to their outer appearances. For example, portable communication devices or wireless terminals are classified into a bar-type wireless terminal, a flip-type wireless terminal, a folder-type wireless terminal, and a slide-type wireless terminal. The above-described existing portable communication devices essentially include an antenna unit, a data input/output unit, and a data transmitting/receiving unit. Here, the data input/output unit generally is a keypad that is pressed mainly by a finger to input data.
A slide-type wireless terminal includes a main body having a keypad, a slide body having a display unit, and a slide module that slides the slide body from the main body.
However, the existing slide-type wireless terminal has the following problems. A separate cradle is used for the user to conveniently see information displayed on a display unit, causing an uneconomical problem to the user. It is known that the user substantially needs to face a display unit that is inclined to conveniently see the information displayed on a display unit. However, conventionally, without a separate cradle, the user needs to face the wireless terminal with its body being held in a hand of the user at an angle (i.e., an included position), and it is actually inconvenient for the user to see a screen displayed on the display unit of a wireless terminal held on a table or the like without a separate cradle.
In order to solve the above-described problems, Korean Patent No. 10-0678215 discloses a portable terminal and a slide-type cradling apparatus in detail.
As illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2, the slide-type cradling apparatus 10 of a portable communication device includes a first housing 20 having a plurality of keys 21, a second housing 30 having a display unit 31 and being cradled on the first housing 20 at an inclined angle after being slid from the first housing 20 (see FIG. 2), a first member 50 provided in the first housing 20, a second member 60 coupled to the second housing 30, a slide guide unit 70 provided between the first and second members 50 and 60 to guide the position of the second housing 30, and a hinge unit 80 provided in the first member 50 and the slide guide unit 70 to rotate the slide guide unit 70 about a hinge shaft A1.
However, since the existing slide-type cradling apparatus of a portable communication device has a structure in which the second housing is slid and then inclinedly cradled to provide access to the keys of the first housing, the installation space for the keys is restricted. Moreover, since the display unit is provided in the second housing, a large-sized display unit cannot be used.
As illustrated in FIG. 1, since the existing hinge unit has a hinge arm, a rod, a cam, and a coil spring, spaces for these parts are necessary, and the large number of parts results in an increase in manufacturing costs and the number of assembling processes.
Therefore, there is a need for an apparatus that can make a large-size display unit, use a wide keypad, miniaturize a product by reducing the number of parts, and reduce manufacturing costs and the number of assembling processes.